The population of under 16 year olds in remote rural areas and remote small towns has fallen by about a tenth in a decade, according to new analysis of small areas by National Records of Scotland.
In the Small Area Population Estimates report, NRS found the population of 0-15 year olds had fallen by 9.4% in remote rural areas and 10.4% in remote small towns between 2014 and 2024.
In contrast, the number of people aged 65 and over has increased in all six categories of the Scottish Government’s urban rural classification. (Large urban, other urban, accessible small towns, remote small towns, accessible rural areas and remote rural areas.)
Large urban areas have seen the largest increase in 16-64 year olds (5.6%). The 16-64 year old population of other urban areas has increased as well, although by less than 0.1%. As with 0-15 year olds, the largest decreases in the 16-64 population are seen in remote rural areas (down 6.5%) and remote small towns (down 7.7%)
72% of people in Scotland lived in urban areas. Large urban areas increased in population in all but one year from 2014 to 2024.
Head of population and migration statistics at NRS, Andrew White, said: “The number of children in remote rural areas and remote small towns has fallen by around one tenth from 2014 to 2024.
“The number of people living in large urban areas has increased over the past decade with the fastest growth seen between 2021 and 2024. Remote small towns are the only type of area in the urban rural classification to have seen continual population decline during the decade.”
People living in remote or rural areas tend to be older than those in urban or accessible areas. The median age in remote rural areas is 53 years, while the median age of large urban areas is 39 years.
The analysis is based on estimates of population in 7,392 data zones. Most data zones contain between 500 and 1,000 people. The council areas which saw the largest proportion of data zones increase in population were Glasgow City (58%) Stirling (50%) and City of Edinburgh (50%), and the areas with the lowest proportions were South, East and North Ayrshire (24%, 25% and 26%). Population growth tends to be concentrated in a relatively smaller number of data zones, for example as a result of new housing development, while population decline tends to be more spread out.
Background
Our report Small Area Population Estimates (2022 data zones), mid-2024 is available on our website along with associated data tables. The data zones don’t map to individual settlements but they do nest into local authority areas. Other available geographies include Scottish and UK parliamentary constituencies, International Territorial Levels, electoral wards, island regions and urban-rural classification.
Search by postcode to find out what’s happening in local communities using our interactive charts.
Or use this tool to see population change on a map.
Our Mid-Year Population estimates for 2025 are also available on our website. These do not go down to data zone level. Small Area Population Estimates for mid-2025 will be released in the coming months.
